Footwear



Patented Nov. 4, 1947 FOOTWEAR .Stanley Louis Wilding, Fazakerley, Liverpool,v England Application August 8, 1944, Serial No. 548,537 In Great Britain August 28, 1943 Section 3, PublicLaw 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires August 28, 1963 4 Claims.

which there are provided inter-engaging parts on the protector, pad or tread-piece (hereinafter, for convenience of reference only, designated tread-piece) and heel; and my invention has for its object to provide a construction or formation of heel and a tread-piece for application thereto, which latter is of simple and cheap construction, may be quickly applied and removed by an unskilled person, when it is desired to renew same, is not liable to accidental detachment in course of wear, and-if of rubber or like elastic or resilient substance-ensures greater comfort to the wearer than is afforded by tread-pieces of conventional types. I,

Further, my tread-piece, may, if rubbed down-- and so reduced in thickness-on one side in course of wear, be transferred to the other heel of the shoe, thereby prolonging the useful life of th tread-piece.

According to my invention, there are longitudinally formed or provided on the sides of a heel surface of a boot or shoe, a pair of bar-like projections so arranged in relation to each other and configurated that there is created between same a tapering channel, the inner-i. e. opposed-walls whereof are undercut or dovetailed, and said channel being essentially characterised in that its narrower end is at the front of the heel, whilst, its wider end-and so the adjacent ends of said side bars--terminates short of the rear of the heel. And a tread-piece, for application to the heel, comprises, (a) an outer wearing surface, (b) an under part consisting of a middle bar-like member of tapering and undercut or dove-tailed shape complementary to the configuration of said heel channel and adapted to to be slid therein from the rear of the heel and interlock with the opposed undercut walls thereof, and a portion extending to the rear of the heel to increase the thickness thereabout of the treadpiece; and means associated with said interlocking bar of the tread-piece whereby the latter may be securely connected by hand to the heel when positioned thereon, and readily freed therefrom for withdrawal when worn, preparatory to the transfer of the tread-piece from one shoe heel to the other, or fitment of a new tread-piece.

Said locking means may comprise a wire rod located in a longitudinal groove formed for its reception in said interlocking bar of the treadpiece and the end portions whereof are reversely bent. One bent inner end or arm of said rod is accommodated and free to move in a covered cavity of the under portion of the tread-piece and provided for its reception, whilst the otherexposedbent end or arm of the rod is adapted to be turned by the fingers in front of and preferably in contact with the heel, when the treadpiece is applied thereto, and so prevent it from rearward displacement during wear.

In one embodiment of my invention, said undercut side bar components of'the heel may be formed by appropriately cutting and angularly bending a sheet metal base plate which is screwed or otherwise secured to the flat face of the heel, said angular bendings being reinforced by pieces of suitable strong and rigid material.

I will further describe my invention with the aid of the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings which illustrate, by way of examples only, two modes of embodying same.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe the heel whereof is constructed for the reception of and has received a detachable tread-piece.

Fig. 2 is a front view, Fig. 3 a plan, and Fig. 4 a side elevation, of the heel prior to the fitment of the tread-piece thereto, and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are, respectively, side elevation, end view, and plan of the tread-piece.

Fig. 8 is a detached view of a locking bar detached.

Referring to the drawings:

a indicates a shoe to the heel portion a whereof is secured by screws 12 a sheet metal plate which has been cut and shaped to provide a base plate 0, c and raised angular side bar portions 0 c which are reinforced or strengthened against collapse by blocks d rubber, leather, wood, or any suitable material, which may, if desirable, be secured by nailing, or otherwise.

The exterior edges of said angle bars 0 follow the contour of the edge of the heel a whilst the opposed inner walls thereof provide between them a tapering channel e, and are undercut or dovetailed, as shown. Said channel e has its narrower end at the front of heel a whilst its wider end and so the adjacent ends of angle bars c --terminates short of the rear of the heel, leaving a flat part c of the base plate thereabouts.

Referring now to the tread-piece, this comprises a wearing surface f and an under portion comprising a tapering and undercut bar g complementary to the heel channel e, and a rear thickness 9 adapted to coincide with the fiat part c of the heel plate 0, 0 so that at thisnearpart the tread-piece is of additional thickness which enhances its longevity in use, and if made of rubber, or the like, or leather, 2. substantial cushion is provided, whereby shock to the wearer during walking is minimized.

Disposed in a longitudinal groove h in the treadpiece is the stem portion 7' of a locking member i, i i mposed of wire bent to provide said stem and lateral arms 1' one, :1' of which projects free of the tread-piece whilst the other arm 7' is accommodated and free to move in a slot it provided in bar 9 for its reception, and said slotlc being reinforced by a metal plate piece I. Said locking member is prevented from displacement by means of a cover strip m secured to bar 9'.

In fitting the tread-piece, it is merely necessary to slide same into engagement with heel a from the rear of the latter, so that the bar portion 5/ of the tread-piece engages the undercut walls of the angle plate 6 Then the inner arm 7' of locking member 7, d 1' is turned by hand to move it in front of the heela (Fig. 1) and so prevent the tread-piece from rearward displacement during wear.

To remove the tread-piece it'is merely necessary to turn arm 1' to clear the front of the heel and then withdraw the tread-piece from engagement with the undercut walls of the heels angle plate What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A boot or shoe heel at the sides whereof longitudinally are formed or provided a pair of barlike projections so arranged in relation to each other and configurated that there is created between same a tapering channel the inner-i. e. opposedwalls whereof are undercut or dovetailed, and said channel being characterised in that its narrower end is at the front of the heel, whilst its wider endand so that adjacent ends of said barsterminates short of the rear of the heel for the purpose specified.

2. A boot or shoe heel as claimed in claim 1, in which said undercut or dovetailed side bars are formed of plate metal secured to the heel.

3. In combination with or for detachable ap- Number plication to a boot or shoe heel as claimed in claim 1, a tread-piece comprising an outer wearing surface; an under part consisting of a middle bar-like member of tapering and undercut or dovetailed shape complementary to the con- ;figuration of the channel provided on the boot or its transfer from one shoe heel to the other, or

fitment of a new tread-piece.

4. In combination with or for detachable application to a boot or shoe heel as claimed in claim 1, a tread-piece comprising an outer wearing surface; an under part consisting of a middle barlike member of tapering and undercut or dovetailed shape complementary to the configuration of the channel provided on the boot or shoe heel, and adapted to be slid therein from the rear of the heel and interlock with the opposed undercut walls thereof, and having a portion extending to the rear of the heel to increase the thickness thereabout of the tread-piece; and tread-piece securing means associated with said interlocking bar, comprising a revolubly located rod bent or shaped to provide reversely bent end portions or lateral arms one of which is adapted to be turned by hand in front of the heel, whilst the other arm is operable in a recess provided for its reception in the tread-piece.

STANLEY LOUIS W'ILDING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,157,476 Weiss Oct. 19, 1915 

